The Automated Ordering Machine

This new touch ordering system is becoming common in other countries. It eliminates the use for a cashier, which can save companies, like McDonald's, money that would usually go towards paying the employees a set hourly wage. I think that this technology is very neat and intriguing. I believe that most people would enjoy the ability of being able to walk into a fast food restaurant or cafe and allowed to order their food by simply touching a screen. Also, there should be less confusions and mistakes on orders since the customer is personally placing the specific food order. Overall, I think that this new technology will take off and eventually be the common way to order food in the U.S.!

SAP Distribution Game

I enjoyed the SAP Distribution Game. My team ranked last because our net sales did not exceed our expenses, resulting in a net loss. My team's strategy (although unsuccessful) was to market the products of water that were not selling as much and raise prices a little in order to make a profit. However, our prices were below our products' competitors, which gave us a disadvantage since our ending sales were low. I believe that when conducting business, high profit is what each company strives for, although other factors need to be considered as well. A high margin, an efficient sales strategy, and return on equity are all equally important to the company's overall success. If one area is ignored, then the company's net income will not meet its full potential. I think that my team's biggest strength was marketing the slow-selling products in different regions. As soon as we marketed the products, our inventory would significantly drop because the products would rapidly sell. Our biggest weakness was creating ourselves a net loss. In order to sell the products, we only raised the prices a little, keeping them fairly low. In the end, this proved to be a negative strategy because we bought more than we could sell, because our competitors were receiving all the business. During this activity, I learned that it is best to market products in different regions. I also learned that it is crucial to keep up with the inventory records, which can significantly change by the minute.      

Apple Fires Employee

I think Apple had every right to fire the employee. The article stated that during the induction process, Apple made it clear that any commentary about the company was strictly banned. The employee directly violated Apple's rules and posted negative comments about the company on Facebook. Private or not, the comment was posted on the Internet, where nothing is hidden. The posts by one employee could potentially ruin the reputation of the well-known company, as well as resulting in a loss of customers. Therefore, the employee deserved to get fired as a consequence of his/her actions. If I was the employee in this situation, I would feel foolish, knowing that posting a little comment on Facebook cost me my job. However, I would understand that I clearly broke the social media rules of Apple, and I would respect the company's decision.